Tyre plant to close in Australia's southeast
Updated
Nearly 600 Australian automotive workers will lose their jobs, with South Pacific Tyres to close a plant in December.
The Goodyear-owned company says the high operating costs of the plant, in the south-eastern city of Melbourne, stop it being internationally competitive.
It says it will work with unions and governments to help workers find new jobs.
But Anthony Thow from the National Union of Workers says the 587 employees will struggle to find new jobs.
"The reality for manufacturing workers who are made redundant is it takes a long time to find alternative work," Mr Thow said.
"We're going to do everything we can, the NUW is going to support its members and try and place them in jobs but we're under no illusions - it's going to be a very difficult process for members to get high paying jobs, highly skilled jobs that they currently have."
